We are standing here today, on Thursday, the last Thursday of the year. Tomorrow night is Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year), Yom HaDin (Day of Judgment), Yom Teruah (Day of Shofar Blasts), and we are saying, “Zochreinu lechayim, Melech chafetz bachayim, vechotvenu besefer chayim lema'ancha Elohim chayim.” We are going to be saying it over and over. We are going to tell Hashem, ask Hashem: please remember us for life, write us in the book of life.
Now, life—that is the most precious commodity in the world. Lo hametim yehalelu Yah. King David said, “The dead cannot praise Hashem,” but the living, as long as you are here in this world, you can praise Hashem with your free will. You can improve, you can help other people, you can do tzedakah (charity), you can do mitzvot (commandments), ma'asim tovim (good deeds).
We have to be very sure: we are asking Hashem for life, but what are we bringing Him? What are we doing for Him? Why should He give us more life? That's the question—a big question we're asking. One day before Yom HaDin, we can't just walk into Yom HaDin naked, nothing on, no clothes on, nothing in our pocket. So King David tells us, you have to make sure you have some mincha, some offering that you're going to bring Hashem. You've got to be bringing Him something. Don't bring Him a pie in the sky, no promises: “I promise I'm going to stop smoking, I promise I'm going to do...” No, no, you have to start doing it now, today.
You say, “Hashem, I'm going to start today. Help me for the rest of the year, but I'm going to start.” You can't just come into the courthouse and say, “I promise I'm going to be a good boy, better.” In the future, it's not anything. Well, what good is that? You've got to show that you mean business. So you have to think very hard now. What are you going to do? What are you going to be bringing into court? And start doing it now.
And one thing we could possibly do—there are a million things we can do, a million things. If you're doing this work out there, you'll see a lot of things. See a hundred different ideas that you can do. But one thing, let's think about one thing that we can all do. A doable thing, by the way. Whatever you promise to do, it should be something that you can do. It shouldn't be impossible. You shouldn't say, “I'm going to pray 18 times a day. I'm going to go learn Torah 15 hours a day.” You can't do it. If you can't do it, don't promise it. Don't try to promise something you can't do. Come and learn Torah an extra 20 minutes this year, every day. Before I go to sleep, I'm going to open the sefer and I'll close the TV.
If you have a TV in your bedroom, that's a bad place for television. Very bad place. Very bad place for television in the bedroom. That's the worst place for television. The worst place for television. But now I'm not going to do it. I'm not going to say it now. Why? But that's the worst place. Okay? For many reasons. But now I'm not going to say it now. Okay? So because before you go to sleep, you want to put some good ideas in your mind. And that box has no good ideas it's going to put in your mind. So you open the sefer there before you go to sleep. But that's not the idea. That's a separate idea. The idea I want to say is like this.
Let's make sure this year, starting now, that when we talk to somebody—when we speak to our wives, when we speak to our children, when we speak to our friends over here in Shul (synagogue)—we leave them with a good feeling about themselves, better than when we met them. We want to make sure we don't tell them any mean words. We want to make sure we don't bring them down. We don't have to bring them a downer. We want to make sure we don't contradict them. Try to give them the last word. Walk away from somebody. Let him say the last thing. Let him feel good about himself. That's tikkun olam (repairing the world). Let him say the last thing. The one thing in your life, Rob. Let him say the last thing. Everybody, let him get the last word. Let him say it. Let her say the last thing. Talk to everybody. Let her say it. Let your wife say the last thing.
And make sure now, before the holiday. Very important. Very, very important. Make sure you have a meeting with your children. Make sure you have a meeting with your wife. Make sure you have a meeting with your brothers and sisters if you can. If not, call them on the telephone. And tell them. Tell your children. For once. Tell them again. Tell them. Tell them. Rochi. Jack. I really love you, Jack. I love you. I haven't told you this in a while. I think you're doing a good job. I think there's always room for improvement. We're all trying to improve. But I'm very proud of you. I love you, Rochi. My darling wife. Tell her. I'm very proud of you. I love you. You raised the kids. You did a great job. And if I haven't been... I want to apologize. I haven't been the nicest guy in the world all the time. Please forgive me. But I want you to know that I love you. And I want you to know I appreciate everything you've done for me. You run the house. Everything you do for me—that is very important. Rob, you missed it, Rob. Look at you when I'm talking. Look. I told you something tremendous just now. Make sure you tell them today. Don't wait until Rosh Hashanah. Call each son up. If they're too big, speak to them on the phone. Tell them, Rochi. I haven't told you this in a while. But I'm very proud of you. I want you to know. I think the world of you. And I love you very much. And I wish Hashem will take care of you this year. And I give you my Beracha (blessing), that Hashem should give you a good life. And that merit, Hashem will say, “You are taking care of my children, your children. I will remember you for another year of life.”